About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

Physical Education Teacher/Head Football Coach – Tuscola High School – beginning as soon as possible – must be licensed and highly qualified in NC License area 090 (PE) and have previous coach experience – contact Principal, Dale McDonald, dmcdonal@haywood.k12.nc.us for more information.

Former Tuscola coach Donnie Kiefer resigned on March 5 after going 39-24-1 in five seasons. Mountaineers athletic director Mike Sutton said that same day that the school hopes to have a new football coach in place by April 1.

Western North Carolina athletes who expect to graduate in 2013 may now begin applying for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award, the company announced today.

More from Wendy’s:

Dublin, OH (March 13, 2012) – Wendy’s announced today they are accepting applications for the annual Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, a program honoring outstanding high school student-athletes for their commitment to academic achievement, community service involvement, and athletic prowess.

More than just a shining star on a college résumé, the Heisman mystique touches students at every level of the program. In addition to recognition at school and state levels, six female and six male national finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to attend the Wendy’s High School Heisman Awards Ceremony and college Heisman Memorial Trophy Award presentation with their families in December 2012.

Beginning now through Oct. 2, 2012, eligible* students can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com for a chance to win the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award and the prestige of joining an ever-growing family of distinguished past winners. A partner award with college football’s acclaimed Heisman Memorial Trophy, Wendy’s High School Heisman has received more than 350,000 applications and honored more than 216 National Finalists and 36 National Winners since its inception.

Each year, nearly 50,000 young male and female scholar-athletes from across the country who embody leadership, academic excellence and athletic skill in their schools and volunteerism in their communities apply for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. These applicants are then narrowed down in four phases:

School Winners Phase – One senior male and one senior female from every school will be selected as a “School Winner”

State Finalists Phase – 20 finalists—10 senior males and 10 senior females—from every state and the District of Columbia will advance to “State Finalists”

State Winners Phase – One senior male and one senior female from each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as “State Winners”

National Finalist Phase – A judging panel will select “12 National Finalists” from the 102 State Winners

The one male and one female Wendy’s High School Heisman Award winners will earn $10,000 for their high school and a $500 Wendy’s gift card. They will also be highlighted during ESPN’s live national broadcast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy Ceremony in early December 2012.

*Eligibility

Eligible high school seniors, slated to graduate in 2013, may submit an application online through Oct. 2, 2012. The first 25,000 students with completed applications will receive a Wendy’s gift card valued at $10. From the completed applications, one male and one female winner will be chosen to receive the WHSH Award.

For more information, students can visit www.WendysHeisman.com, call (800) 205-6367 or contact their local high school principal, guidance counselor or athletic director. Participants can also “like” Wendy’s Heisman on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WendysHighSchoolHeisman for additional program details.

Regardless of the sport, how many Western North Carolina graduates go to a Southeastern Conference program and start right away?

Former Roberson soccer star Ashley VanLandingham is on the short list.

VanLandingham has been a defender in Kentucky’s lineup at the start of every game the past seasons, including 21 this year for the Wildcats (13-7-1). So far, the sophomore has one goal and one assist for Kentucky this season.

North Buncombe sophomore Alex Destino was named the latest Citizen-Times/Western North Carolina Baseball Player of the Week on Monday and has now received another award from the Candler-based Diamond Mine baseball and softball training facility:

North Buncombe Senior Alex Destino has been named The Diamond Mine Dugout Club Player of the Week for March 5th- 9th. The Sophomore lefthander had an outstanding week on the mound and also at the plate. The lefty started two games winning both while pitching 12 innings and giving up 4 hits with a 2.33 ERA and holding opponents to a .100 batting average. He also threw a complete game shutout against Asheville High. At the plate Destino hit .438 with 2 doubles scored 8 runs and had a slugging Pct. of .563.

Darin Chaplain, who is the director of operations for the Diamond Mine, said the center will continue to present the award throughout the season to Western North Carolina players.

Asheville Christian Academy’s girls soccer team is undefeated at 3-0-0 with the highest state ranking of anyone (second in NCISAA 2-A) in Western North Carolina.

For good measure, the Lions brought home some neighborhood bragging rights Monday in the Swannanoa Valley.

Chandler Tinsley and Sarah Belz provided the goals thanks to assists from Anna Hilgeman and Brittany Hand in a 2-0 shutout of Owen.

Goalkeeper Sabrina Jones made seven saves.

ACA posted a season preview for the Lions earlier this month on its Web site:

Knowing Coach Terry Hughes, he will find a way to be more than competitive, but it may take a while for his young squad to “put in time together before we can truly shine,” according to Hughes. Assisting Hughes this season will be coaches Maddy Stinehour and David Schermerhorn.

Roberson’s baseball team has moved up four spots to No. 16 in this week’s MaxPreps XCellent 25 national rankings.

16. (20) Roberson (Asheville, N.C.)

Roberson dropped Reynolds 7-1 last week along with a 4-2 win over 2A runner-up East Rutherford. Dominick Cammarata drove in two runs in the latter victory while Parker Johnson and James Nevant each had a double.

Four games in three days has gotten the Pisgah softball team up to speed.

The Black Bears shut out East Henderson in Monday’s first half of a Western North Carolina Athletic Conference doubleheader, 8-0, before rain cut another win (13-5) short.

Logan Mathews threw a five-inning, one-hit shutout in Game 1 and also hit a home run. Mahaila Irvin was 2-for-2 with a home run and Micah James went 2-2.

James was the winning pitcher in the abbreviated second game and perfect at the plate, going 2-2 with a home run and three RBIs. Sheridan Pressley was 2-2 and Taylor Galyean went 1-3 with a double and three RBIs.

Monday’s second game only went three innings before it was called for wet conditions.

The Black Bears (4-0, 2-0) are the defending NCHSAA 2-A champions and also won a home doubleheaders Saturday against Hiwassee Dam.

Reynolds senior Shenny Lenhart’s hat-trick streak finally came to an end Monday night.

The Rockets’ did not.

For the seventh straight game, a member of the defending Mountain Athletic Conference 4-A champions scored three or more goals.

Lenhart struck in the 10th minute of a 5-0 Mountain Athletic Conference win over North Buncombe. It was Reynolds’ first goal of the evening, but the last that Lenhart would add to her Western North Carolina-best total of 21 goals for the undefeated Rockets (7-0-0, 1-0-0).

Instead, it was freshman Megan McAllister, who scored in the 29th, 61st and 72nd minute for a hat trick. Natalie Bradbury dished out two assists and Katie Cavagnini made two saves for the shutout.

Lenhart, who is only 12 goals away from breaking Reynolds’ single-season record (32), had posted hat tricks in each of her first six games this season.